At my wits end! DSDPlus / Trunking Systems

[DavidInWashington]

Good evening,

I know nobody likes answering the same old questions thirty times so I've done my best to research but I can't seem to get any farther without help.

I'd like to start listening to the trunked systems in the Ellensburg, WA area using an RTL-SDR dongle.

1. SDR# is installed and working. I can hear conventional analog traffic.
2. Virtual audio cable is installed. I've made it the default audio input device in Windows and I've set SDR# to output to the virtual audio cable. DSDPlus source audio window shows a continuously changing waveform.
3. DSDPlus is operational and receiving data. I've fine tuned my settings in SDR# to eliminate 99% of error messages that were being displayed in the DSDPlus command line interface.
4. The frequency I am currently monitoring is Washington State DOT on 770.21875 MHZ but I've tried other systems with the same results.
5. DSDPlus command line interface displays a repeating message of "Sync:+P25p1 NAC: 6F TSDU". This is the only message displayed with the exception of a rare error message.
6. The DSDPlus Event Log shows "P25 NAC:6F".
7. I hear no audio - ever.

The only thing I can figure is that nobody is transmitting. But that just doesn't seem likely to me given it's been days / hours of the same results (including monitoring other systems.)

Does anybody have any ideas?

Thank you!

 

[dave3825]

What version are you using? If FastLane, then you don't use SDR# and or virtual cables.


If your getting 6F, then your on the Whisky Dick site. It was added April of 23. Are you close to any of the others that have been operating longer??

03E	111 (6F)	111 (6F)	Whiskey Dick	Kittitas, WA	770.21875c	771.18125	771.84375c	772.80625
041	120 (78)	120 (78)	Dodge Ridge	Kittitas, WA	771.26875c	771.54375	771.99375c
041	128 (80)	128 (80)	Manastash Ridge	Kittitas, WA	770.68125c	772.26875c
041	133 (85)	133 (85)	Stampede Pass	Kittitas, WA	770.55625	770.96875	771.44375	772.55625c	773.60625

The DSDPlus Event Log shows "P25 NAC:6F".

I hear no audio - ever

If the log is not showing activity stating that group calls are taking place, you will not hear anything.

 

[sunwave]

Good evening,

I know nobody likes answering the same old questions thirty times so I've done my best to research but I can't seem to get any farther without help.

I'd like to start listening to the trunked systems in the Ellensburg, WA area using an RTL-SDR dongle.

1. SDR# is installed and working. I can hear conventional analog traffic.
2. Virtual audio cable is installed. I've made it the default audio input device in Windows and I've set SDR# to output to the virtual audio cable. DSDPlus source audio window shows a continuously changing waveform.
3. DSDPlus is operational and receiving data. I've fine tuned my settings in SDR# to eliminate 99% of error messages that were being displayed in the DSDPlus command line interface.
4. The frequency I am currently monitoring is Washington State DOT on 770.21875 MHZ but I've tried other systems with the same results.
5. DSDPlus command line interface displays a repeating message of "Sync:+P25p1 NAC: 6F TSDU". This is the only message displayed with the exception of a rare error message.
6. The DSDPlus Event Log shows "P25 NAC:6F".
7. I hear no audio - ever.

The only thing I can figure is that nobody is transmitting. But that just doesn't seem likely to me given it's been days / hours of the same results (including monitoring other systems.)

Does anybody have any ideas?

Thank you!

A question for you to answer to help the community help you:

Are you using DSDPlus Fastlane or the free version?

 

[DavidInWashington]

A question for you to answer to help the community help you:

Are you using DSDPlus Fastlane or the free version?

Good morning,

I'm using the free version. I'm not certainly not adverse to paying for the Fastlane version but I guess I was hesitant to pay before I knew what I was getting. My impression from the DSDPlus website was that the Fastlane version just included automatic software updates and a gratuity for the developers. I didn't realize it was functionally different software. I'll purchase the Fastlane version.

 

[DavidInWashington]

What version are you using? If FastLane, then you don't use SDR# and or virtual cables.


If your getting 6F, then your on the Whisky Dick site. It was added April of 23. Are you close to any of the others that have been operating longer??

03E	111 (6F)	111 (6F)	Whiskey Dick	Kittitas, WA	770.21875c	771.18125	771.84375c	772.80625
041	120 (78)	120 (78)	Dodge Ridge	Kittitas, WA	771.26875c	771.54375	771.99375c
041	128 (80)	128 (80)	Manastash Ridge	Kittitas, WA	770.68125c	772.26875c
041	133 (85)	133 (85)	Stampede Pass	Kittitas, WA	770.55625	770.96875	771.44375	772.55625c	773.60625

If the log is not showing activity stating that group calls are taking place, you will not hear anything.

I'm using the free version of DSDPlus but I will update to the Fastlane version.

I can receive error free messages from each of the Kittitas County repeaters - but the results are the same, the only difference being the site number (6F, 78, 80, 85).

I assume there are no group calls taking place. It seems odd that I haven't come across a radio call since this DOT detachment handles a very busy stretch of interstate and the Snoqualmie mountain pass. I would have expected to at least hear a call about debris in the roadway or something!



Thank you very much for your assistance.

 

[dave3825]

I’m pretty sure that with the public free version you had to populate the frequencies file for it to follow a trunk system. But either way, if you have good signal it should be decoding and displaying all activity like calls and radios joining and leaving the talkgroups. The FastLane version, all you really need to do is enter and active control channel and it will start decoding and producing voice pretty much instantly as long as it’s not encrypted, which it does not appear to be. You would need to populate your network file as well as your group files to be able to see which groups are active. You would also use the program that comes FastLane which is a tuner, so you don’t have to use SDR or virtual cables.

 

[PDXh0b0]

Fastlane is definitely worth having, that said you should give sdrtrunk v6 final a try..

I rarely hear any traffic when I monitor the two wdot system here in Clark/Cowlitz County

 

[mtindor]

If you are using SDRSharp and Virtual Cable, that means you are only capable of monitoring the control channel. You cannot do any trunking. So even if you see group calls on your DSDPlus screen, you won't hear them because nothing is diverting the SDR to tune to the voice freqs.

DSDPlus Fast Lane is worth it. But you should still be able to use the free version and FMP (or FMP24) in place of SDRSharp and Virtual Cable to actually establish a trunking setup and successfully listen to those sites. Unfortunately, I don't give instructions on how to do that with the free version since I haven't used the free version in years. The Fast Lane version makes it so much easier.

Mike

 

[DavidInWashington]

Fastlane is definitely worth having, that said you should give sdrtrunk v6 final a try..

I rarely hear any traffic when I monitor the two wdot system here in Clark/Cowlitz County

If you are using SDRSharp and Virtual Cable, that means you are only capable of monitoring the control channel. You cannot do any trunking. So even if you see group calls on your DSDPlus screen, you won't hear them because nothing is diverting the SDR to tune to the voice freqs.

DSDPlus Fast Lane is worth it. But you should still be able to use the free version and FMP (or FMP24) in place of SDRSharp and Virtual Cable to actually establish a trunking setup and successfully listen to those sites. Unfortunately, I don't give instructions on how to do that with the free version since I haven't used the free version in years. The Fast Lane version makes it so much easier.

Mike

Hi Mike

Thank you for the reply. I thought FMP might be the answer. But I sent away my $25 for Fastlane so I'll give my dongle a rest (LOL) until they send me the download.

Thanks again,

 

[sunwave]

Hi Mike

Thank you for the reply. I thought FMP might be the answer. But I sent away my $25 for Fastlane so I'll give my dongle a rest (LOL) until they send me the download.

Thanks again,

I hope you put your email address in the note when you sent them money. They will be sending your password. Keep this password safe as it cant be changed and don't lose it. It is needed to extract updates. They will be sending you the newest version of DSDPlus Fastlane as well. Probably needed things. I can't remember everything. Its been years since I paid. Just drop the new files into your DSDPlus folder.